Natural World Research Articles

Environmental Themes in Michael Punke's The Revenant: An Ecocritical Analysis of Human-Nature Interaction

The objective of this research is to explore the environmental themes shown in Michael Punke's novel, titled The Revenant, with a focus on the complex relationship between the protagonist, Hugh Glass, the surrounding environment, and interaction. This descriptive research uses the ecocriticism theory to analyze the data and address the related questions. The novel vividly depicts nature as the surrounding forest and the diverse array of animals as the central character. As a frontiersman, Glass perceives nature as a realm to be conquered, which resorts to actions such as felling trees and hunting animals. However, the consequences of these actions significantly impact the natural world. The research findings underscored the disadvantageous and imbalanced nature of the human-environment relationship driven by humans’ exploitative tendencies with little consideration for environmental preservation. The consequences of this one-sided relationship are evident in the ecological degradation and the personal suffering experienced by Hugh Glass, hence the novel's critique of this complex interaction between humans and the environment.

Recent progress of chiral metal-organic frameworks in enantioselective separation and detection.

Chiral compounds are abundantly distributed in both the natural world and biological systems. It is crucial to identify and detect chiral compounds in living systems or to separate and determinethem in the natural environment. Many researchers have developed a range of chiral materials with different functionalizations to separate and detect chiral substances. Chiral metal-organic frameworks (CMOFs) have the potential to be used in enantioselective separation and detection due to their large surface areas, regulated framework topologies, particular substrate interactions, and accessible chiral sites. CMOFs contribute significantly to the development of enantiomer separation and detection in medicine, agriculture, food, environment, and other fields. This review focuses on four synthesis methods of CMOFs and their applications in chiral separation and chiral sensing in the past five years, mainly including chromatographic separation, membrane separation, optical sensing, electrochemical sensing, and other sensingmethods. Finally, the challenges and potential growth direction of CMOFs in enantiomer separation and detection are discussed and prospected.

The "Sernur text" in the lyrics by Zoya Dudina

This work is carried out within the framework of the current direction of modern philological science related to the study of local supertext (local text) in the national literatures of Russia. The subject of the research in the article is the "Sernur text" in the lyrics of the modern Mari poet Zoya Dudina, considered by us on the material of her poems included in the collection "Kuanyshym, kuemndal..." (Rejoiced, hugging a birch...) (2012). In this aspect, the lyrical works of this author are studied for the first time in the Mari literary science. The article identifies, describes and analyzes the main components of the "Sernur text" (images, motifs, artistic details, author's assessments and the ideological and conceptual component of individual lyrical texts and the collection as a whole), their place in the artistic structure of Zoya Dudina's lyrics. The methodology of the research consists of a historical-genetic and structural-semantic analysis of the author's lyrical texts, which allows us to identify and describe the structural and semantic levels of the "Sernur text", textual elements of the local subtext, revealing the author's concept of the world and man, the character of the lyrical heroine. The most important textual elements of the "Sernur text" in Zoya Dudina's lyrics are toponyms and anthroponyms and related spatial and character images – reconstructing/ transforming their primary etymological or real meanings, expressing one or another author's axiology. The main meaning of the "Sernur text" is summarized in the very title of the book (rural space, the land of ancestors, the Mari world), which carries the idea of the lyrical heroine's "merged" life with the Mari world and the world of nature. The structural and semantic levels of the "Sernur text" and textual elements of the local subtext (images and motifs, artistic details, documentary realities, framework components, etc.) reveal the author's concept of the world and man, imbued with respect for folk mythological culture and ancestral memory, their reflection in modernity, as well as the character of the lyrical heroine Zoya Dudina, marked by a genuine and grateful love for his native land.

Investigation of nanoparticles present in biochemic tissue salt Kalium phosphoricum in different potencies

BackgroundBiochemic tissue salts are defined as essential inorganic salts needed to maintain homoeostasis within living tissue. Kali phosphoricum is one of the twelve biochemic tissue salts. Nanomedicine is an expanding field, in which nanoparticles play an integral part and are known to exist in the natural world and can also be manufactured by scientists. This study sought to determine whether Kali phos included nanoparticles and whether may help to mitigate brain problems. Material and MethodTo investigate whether potassium phosphate nanoparticles were present in Kali phos, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used. To analyze the biochemical parameters, the homogenate of brain was incubated with lactose powder (control group), different potencies of Kali phos and K2HPO4. 25% homogenate of normal brain tissue was made with the help of ice cold 0.02M Tris-Cl (pH 7.4) buffer. Different antioxidant enzymes and glycolytic enzyme activities were measured. ResultsIt may be concluded from this investigation, utilizing these chosen potencies, that the biochemic tissue salt Kali phos does contain nanoparticles of potassium phosphate, adding to the development of the nanomedicine field. Lower potency remedies were more effective in modulating the level of antioxidant and glycolytic enzymes. ConclusionAlthough there is clearly a body of scientific evidence, mainstream medicine claims that there is simply an inadequate amount of such evidence. These results may expand the range of use and applications of biochemic tissue salts, lay the groundwork for the creation of empirical homoeopathic evidence, and bring innovative research avenues.

Human Environment

The relationship between humans and the environment is a complex and dynamic interplay that has evolved over millennia. This paper explores the multifaceted interactions between human societies and their surrounding ecosystems, emphasizing the profound impacts of human activities on the environment and vice versa. As human populations have grown and technological advancements have accelerated, the scale and intensity of environmental impacts have increased, leading to significant challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The study begins by tracing the historical development of human-environment interactions, highlighting key periods such as the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the current Anthropocene epoch. Each period is characterized by distinct environmental impacts and societal responses, providing a framework for understanding contemporary environmental issues. The paper then delves into the concept of sustainability, examining how it has emerged as a crucial paradigm in addressing the environmental crisis. Sustainable development goals and practices are discussed, illustrating how they aim to balance economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection. Central to the discussion is the notion of environmental ethics and the role of cultural values in shaping human attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. The paper reviews various ethical frameworks, including anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism, and their implications for environmental policy and management. By analyzing case studies from different parts of the world, the paper demonstrates how cultural perspectives influence environmental decision-making and outcomes. Furthermore, the paper addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by environmental governance. It explores the roles of governmental and non-governmental organizations, international agreements, and community-based initiatives in promoting environmental stewardship. Special attention is given to the concept of adaptive management, which emphasizes flexibility and learning in addressing environmental uncertainties. The paper concludes by proposing a holistic approach to human-environment interactions, advocating for integrated strategies that recognize the interdependence of social, economic, and ecological systems. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors, and by embracing a long-term perspective, humanity can work towards a more sustainable and resilient future. This exploration of the human environment underscores the urgency of rethinking our relationship with the natural world. It calls for a collective commitment to sustainable practices that respect the intrinsic value of the environment while ensuring the well-being of present and future generations.

A sensitive and resonant view of the rural environment in three books by Julià Guillamon

ABSTRACT The current boom in rural-themed literature in Spain has been interpreted as a response to certain social and commercial needs that acquire a contradictory ideological value (Ibarretxe Diego and Delgado [2022]. “Comunidades inimaginables: narrativas sobre la España vaciada.” In España comparada: literatura, lengua y política en la cultura contemporánea, coordinated by Christian Claesson. Granada: Editorial Comares, 104–108). In contrast to the fictions that perpetuate an idealized or uncritical imaginary of the rural world, a body of new works has emerged that develop an attentive gaze at living beings. In the Catalan context, this local and intimate approach to the daily life of rurality has allowed certain writers to promote an ecoresponsible sensibility, which is grounded in a sensitive relationship with the natural world. Based on these premises, the aim of this article is to analyze a selection of stories from the books El sifon de can Sitra (2017), Les cuques (2020) and Les hores noves (2022), by Julià Guillamon, which focus on different elements of the living world. The analysis is based on the idea that the author’s local attachment allows him to develop a sensitive and resonant view of the living beings that are part of a very specific environment: the town of Arbúcies and Montseny Natural Park, located in the center of Catalonia. Starting from the idea of “sensitive relationships”, developed by Estelle Zhong Mengual and Baptiste Morizot (2018), and the concept of “resonance”, defined by Hartmut Rosa (2020), this article will explore the way in which Guillamon develops rural themes that include not just living beings, but agriculture and forestry as well. In his books, the author uses resources from treatises on natural sciences, literary journalism and nature diaries. This use of nonfiction literature allows him to build a demystified and realistic vision of the Montseny massif (a space with a significant cultural weight in the Catalan literary tradition), through which it is possible to reconstitute a sensitivity towards natural life.

Developing mathematical models to calculate annual evapotranspiration rates in Iraq using climate data.

Abstract Evapotranspiration is considered the fuel that controls the water cycle in the natural world. It is necessary for the stability of ecosystems and is involved in many important aspects in calculating groundwater quantities, determining optimal locations for building dams and reservoirs and knowing the water needs of crops. The work is divided into two main parts. The first includes the use of The Penman-Monteith method, which is considered the most standard method in the world according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for calculating the annual rate of evapotranspiration in Iraq for the past fifteen years (2008-2022). The second part is a modification of a simple method for calculating evapotranspiration, which is the Thornthwaite method, to give results close to the accuracy of the Penman-Monteith method, as the modification was made using different statistical methods. The study showed the possibility of using the modified Thornthwaite method as an alternative to the Penman-Monteith method to calculate evapotranspiration in all regions of Iraq.

How do animals understand the physical world?

The natural world is full of examples of animals interacting with their physical environment in surprising ways: capuchin monkeys crack open nuts with rocks; dolphins use sponges as 'gloves' on their rostra when searching for prey on the sea floor; and New Caledonian crows manufacture stick tools to pull grubs from logs (Figure 1). Deeper into the phylogenetic tree we continue to see interesting examples of behaviors of this kind, such as octopuses using coconut shells for protection, tuskfish breaking open cockles by hitting them against coral heads, and bees learning to pull string to gain out-of-reach food. These sophisticated behavioral interactions with their physical environment suggest that animals might have a deep understanding of their physical world at a cognitive level. In this primer, we review the performances of a variety of species when faced with tasks that probe their understanding of their physical world.

Comparative Analysis of Biblical Statements and Contemporary Science Views

This comparative analysis delves into the intricate relationship between Biblical science views and contemporary scientific perspectives. Examining biblical narratives through the lens of modern scientific understanding, the study navigates the complexities inherent in reconciling ancient wisdom with empirical methodologies. The analysis encompasses key themes such as the creation narrative, cosmology, and natural phenomena, emphasizing the symbolic richness and cultural contexts embedded in biblical texts. Acknowledging the Bible’s role as a sacred and moral guide, the study contrasts it with the evidence-based approaches of contemporary science. While the Bible offers timeless wisdom and moral teachings, its scientific views often reflect the understanding of the ancient world. Contemporary science, grounded in observation, experimentation, and empirical data, explores the natural world’s intricacies with a methodological rigor distinct from religious texts. The dialogue between these perspectives underscores the importance of recognizing the distinct purposes and realms of religious and scientific knowledge. Recommendations include fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, promoting educational initiatives that integrate both perspectives, and facilitating public dialogues to enhance mutual understanding. Ethical reflections derived from shared principles offer common ground, while continued research into the historical and cultural contexts of biblical texts contributes to nuanced interpretations. Ultimately, the study advocates for an inclusive and enlightened approach that nurtures a harmonious coexistence between faith and reason. By implementing these recommendations, it aims to create an environment fostering dialogue and collaboration between theologians, scientists, and the wider public. Through such efforts, a richer understanding of the universe and the diversity of human knowledge emerges, embracing the complexities of existence and celebrating the shared pursuit of wisdom.

Planning’s ecologies: Democratic planning in the age of planetary crises

The idea of planning has reappeared as an object of interest for critical research on post-capitalist organizational futures. This article offers a critical review of the emerging scholarship on planning, with reference to historical and contemporary precursors to democratic planning. Building on this review, the article develops a critical political ecology of planning that situates planning thought and practice within the matrix of the oikos. This encompasses not only the sphere of production and commodity exchange, but also the household of reproductive labor and the planetary household of the natural world. In this way, it is argued that democratic planning is indispensable for generating the forms of collective intelligibility and power needed to heal the metabolic relations of society and nature. By reimagining and reframing planning, the article aims to expand “the archive” of social imaginaries, as part of broader efforts to envision and develop more desirable organizational futures.

Austen’s Wordsworth

There is only one direct reference to William Wordsworth in all Jane Austen’s writing. This essay asks why it might be there and what it might mean, weighing up the evidence – stylistic, thematic, journalistic, biographical, naval, and historical – for and against Austen’s possible knowledge of Lyrical Ballads and its author. Their shared ground is discovered in habits of allusion and quotation; in the treatment of memory, forgetting, suffering, damage, and loss; in a commitment to noticing and praising the habitually overlooked; and in transformations of the natural world into a possession of the mind and heart. Mansfield Park, it is argued, proves the most Wordsworthian of Austen’s books.

REPRESENTATIONS OF GREG GARRARDS ECOCRITICISM CONCEPTS IN DONT LOOK UP MOVIE

The relationship between humans and nature serves as a pivotal theme in literature and film, often mirroring societal concerns about the environment and offering profound insights into the dynamics between humanity and the natural world. Adam McKay’s film Don’t Look Up prominently explores this theme. This study employs Greg Garrard’s ecocritical framework to conduct a qualitative descriptive analysis of the film. The primary objective is to investigate how the film portrays environmental issues such as pollution, wilderness, apocalypse, dwelling, and animal, as outlined in Garrard’s ecocritical theory. By closely examining the film's monologues, dialogues, and scenes, this research seeks to uncover the nuances of these themes and their implications for contemporary environmental discourse.

QURANIC VERSES RELATED TO HALAL SCIENCE: A STUDY APPLYING THE TAFSIR AL-MAWDUIYMETHOD

To achieve success in the science and technology of halal, numerous kinds of stakeholders, including academics, industry players, and governmental entities, are making a major contribution. Simultaneously, there exists an interest in the discipline of philosophy that includes the discourse on epistemology, ontology, and axiology. This aims to inhibit the publics comprehension of halal science, which is fundamentally factual and scientific. As a result, the fundamental framework for comprehending halal science is through the study of the Quran. This paper analyzes the concept of halal science as presented in the Quran. This literature study employs a systematic approach of Tafsir al-Mawduiyto delineate and then examine the terminology of halal science in the Quran. The study identified three principal topics of halal science terminology in the Quran: first, the truth of the natural worlds creation second, revelation as the foundation of knowledge and third, human ethics and values. These three themes are the philosophy of Islamic science that are the basic paradigm in facing the theoretical issues of the halal science industry.

Personal Meaning and Landscape in Mrs. Dalloway: An Ecocritical Study

This research paper applies an ecocritical perspective to Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway and studies how nature has been used to describe personal feelings of the characters, both major and minor in the context of industrialization and post-World War 1 era in London. Through the ecocritical lens, this paper explores how Woolf links natural elements like flowers, trees and sky with her writing techniques of the stream of consciousness and inner monologue to echo the psychological self of different characters. The ideas presented by the theorist Richard Kerridge, that of a possible ‘poetic engagement’ of literature with the natural world in an industrialized era, and Britain’s nature as a common self-referent have been taken as the framework for this research. The major research questions are: How does Woolf use nature to describe the emotional states of different characters? What role does nature play in the process of pain and healing of the characters? Why does Woolf feel the need to incorporate nature imagery while describing her character’s innermost thoughts? The paper carries out a close textual analysis of the novel, focusing on all the statements that link nature with the characters’ emotions, and draws to a conclusion claiming that this recurrence of nature in Mrs. Dalloway is a deliberate act on the author’s part to at least figuratively preserve nature in a time period that has destroyed as well as pushed nature into the background.

Marabar Caves as a Symbol of Native Identity: An Ecocritical Analysis of A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

The study explores the Marabar Caves as a symbol of native identity under the perspective of Ecocriticism in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India. The phrase ‘Ecocriticism’ was initially coined by William Rueckert in 1978 in his essay “Literature and Ecology.” It refers to the perspective of examining writers’, researchers’, and poets’ works in the context of the environment and the natural world. Additionally, the research analyzes the Ecocritical elements involved in the Marabar caves’ scenery and incident as portrayed and described in A Passage to India. The Caves prove to be substantial for Aziz and other natives like Mahmoud Ali, while for Mrs. Moore, it proves to be meaningless and absurd. The Caves do not embrace the outsiders/intruders to be part of it. Adela Quested's hostile treatment of Caves is the central evidence of the argument. Moreover, the current study explores the effects of environment and culture on humans. It motivates people to find the affiliation between nature and ourselves. The objective of the study is to understand the influence of a homeland or birthplace on one’s life under the domain of Ecocriticism. Ecocritical elements help to explore the significance of the place in our lives. The echo of the Marabar Caves determines the identity of the natives and distinguishes them from outsiders as separate and independent human beings. It represents the inner anxiety of the oppressed. It further pushes the natives to stand up for their rights and raise their voices against colonial powers. The study is exploratory and interpretive.

Marabar Caves as a Symbol of Native Identity: An Ecocritical Analysis of A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

The study explores the Marabar Caves as a symbol of native identity under the perspective of Ecocriticism in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India. The phrase ‘Ecocriticism’ was initially coined by William Rueckert in 1978 in his essay “Literature and Ecology.” It refers to the perspective of examining writers’, researchers’, and poets’ works in the context of the environment and the natural world. Additionally, the research analyzes the Ecocritical elements involved in the Marabar caves’ scenery and incident as portrayed and described in A Passage to India. The Caves prove to be substantial for Aziz and other natives like Mahmoud Ali, while for Mrs. Moore, it proves to be meaningless and absurd. The Caves do not embrace the outsiders/intruders to be part of it. Adela Quested's hostile treatment of Caves is the central evidence of the argument. Moreover, the current study explores the effects of environment and culture on humans. It motivates people to find the affiliation between nature and ourselves. The objective of the study is to understand the influence of a homeland or birthplace on one’s life under the domain of Ecocriticism. Ecocritical elements help to explore the significance of the place in our lives. The echo of the Marabar Caves determines the identity of the natives and distinguishes them from outsiders as separate and independent human beings. It represents the inner anxiety of the oppressed. It further pushes the natives to stand up for their rights and raise their voices against colonial powers. The study is exploratory and interpretive.

Personal Meaning and Landscape in Mrs. Dalloway: An Ecocritical Study

This research paper applies an ecocritical perspective to Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway and studies how nature has been used to describe personal feelings of the characters, both major and minor in the context of industrialization and post-World War 1 era in London. Through the ecocritical lens, this paper explores how Woolf links natural elements like flowers, trees and sky with her writing techniques of the stream of consciousness and inner monologue to echo the psychological self of different characters. The ideas presented by the theorist Richard Kerridge, that of a possible ‘poetic engagement’ of literature with the natural world in an industrialized era, and Britain’s nature as a common self-referent have been taken as the framework for this research. The major research questions are: How does Woolf use nature to describe the emotional states of different characters? What role does nature play in the process of pain and healing of the characters? Why does Woolf feel the need to incorporate nature imagery while describing her character’s innermost thoughts? The paper carries out a close textual analysis of the novel, focusing on all the statements that link nature with the characters’ emotions, and draws to a conclusion claiming that this recurrence of nature in Mrs. Dalloway is a deliberate act on the author’s part to at least figuratively preserve nature in a time period that has destroyed as well as pushed nature into the background.

Deconstructing Radiant Inventory: Christopher Dewdney's Representations of the Natural World in Radiant Inventory

This article presents an analysis of Christopher Dewdney’s “Radiant Inventory” using the literary theory of deconstruction. The purpose is to try and understand the poem through Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction. The article will further examine how the deconstruction of the poem can bring the traditional notion of reading a text into application and how the perception of reality can be challenged to show multiple perspectives using language and imagery. The analysis sheds light on the poem’s questioning of the relationship between object and identity and the role of language in shaping our understanding of reality. It will strictly adhere to Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction. The purpose is to demonstrate how the deconstructive approach can offer a deeper understanding of the complexities and nuances present in the poem.

Why More Biologists Must Embrace Quantitative Modeling.

Biology as a field has transformed since the time of its foundation from an organized enterprise cataloging the diversity of the natural world to a quantitatively rigorous science seeking to answer complex questions about the functions of organisms and their interactions with each other and their environments. As the mathematical rigor of biological analyses has improved, quantitative models have been developed to describe multi-mechanistic systems and to test complex hypotheses. However, applications of quantitative models have been uneven across fields, and many biologists lack the foundational training necessary to apply them in their research or to interpret their results to inform biological problem-solving efforts. This gap in scientific training has created a false dichotomy of "biologists" and "modelers" that only exacerbates the barriers to working biologists seeking additional training in quantitative modeling. Here, we make the argument that all biologists are modelers and are capable of using sophisticated quantitative modeling in their work. We highlight four benefits of conducting biological research within the framework of quantitative models, identify the potential producers and consumers of information produced by such models, and make recommendations for strategies to overcome barriers to their widespread implementation. Improved understanding of quantitative modeling could guide the producers of biological information to better apply biological measurements through analyses that evaluate mechanisms, and allow consumers of biological information to better judge the quality and applications of the information they receive. As our explanations of biological phenomena increase in complexity, so too must we embrace modeling as a foundational skill.

Eco Fiction in Child – Nature Pedagogical Interaction

The paper presents the results of an empirical study focused on eco fiction as a tool for facilitating child – nature pedagogical interaction. The priorities of preschool teachers in the field of environmental education and sustainable development are analysed. Reasons are presented for value inclusion in the world of nature through various activities before, during, and after perception of environment-oriented works of fiction. Options are substantiated for innovating environment-oriented interaction by conceptualizing a model design for working with eco fiction and its content and educational-applied provision through tools of dynamic activity integrity consolidated in a positive environment for children's vitality.